The Ventura Pier is set to finally reopen after it’s been closed for about a year and a half.
The storms of January 2023 initially closed the pier after they “whipped up heavy surf and knocked out multiple support pilings,” according to the Ventura County Star.
That initial bout of damage was further compounded by the December 2023 storms, pushing back an expected reopening date of March 2024 to this Saturday.
Ahead of the grand reopening this weekend, city officials gave credit to the workers who made the reconstruction possible.
“The real heroes are those guys right there,” Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder said as he gestured to workers putting the finishing touches on the pier. “Because in the last storm, they were already working here from the previous storm that did over $1 million in damage. They knew the storm was coming. They worked their tailfeathers off until the very last bit to put cables and tie things together to save the pier.”